Clotheslines

As Christians we think we know Jesus. But do we really know Him? We can know lots of things about Jesus, but to really know Him, we need to feel His presence and His power in our lives. Sadly, lots of Christians appear to live a life in Christ, at least on the outside. They do things out of duty. They react solely out of another’s expectations. But is that what it means to know Jesus, to really be a Christian? And if you don’t really know Jesus, how can you follow Him? If you

What exactly does it mean to be “righteous,” to be in a right relationship with God? In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees would answer that questions with: reading Scripture for several hours a day, fasting often, keeping the commandments to the letter and keeping a distance from those who didn’t follow those rules. Whew! That makes me tired just thinking about it! Yet, Jesus wants us to be in a right relationship with Him. But the Pharisee’s idea of righteousness isn’t Jesus’ idea.

I don’t know about you, but being still isn’t my first choice. I’ve always felt that I need to be doing something, accomplishing something, making things happen. If I’m not doing something, I usually think I’m falling down on the job! And while I understand this verse from Psalm 16 to mean more than a lack of movement, it can still be complicated. I’ve attended many retreats where we’ve been asked to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and imagine a place where you might meet God. M

Sunday we walked through a fascinating lesson of history and healing. It was the story of Jesus and the ten lepers. You might think that’s the story. But, as always, there is much more under the surface. Jesus is taking a seemingly insignificant journey from one place to another—simple enough—but Scripture adds this: “[He] is traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee.” Why is that important? It is a teaching moment. Jesus is showing inclusion of all by not travel

The disciples ask Jesus, “Increase our faith,” and Jesus answers, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus is telling them that even a small amount of faith is powerful, that you can’t see the end of your story at the beginning of your journey. It’s like building a wall of bricks. It takes one brick at a time, one placed perfectly upon another, before the finished pro

Years ago, there was a popular series on British television called “Upstairs, Downstairs.” It was about a wealthy family who lived “upstairs,” while the servants lived “downstairs.” It was a glimpse into the world of those who have…and those who have not. Sunday’s Gospel was very similar. There was a certain rich man who lived in a fine house and ate the finest food. Outside, however, was a desperately poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores and too sick to work. And he wa

Jesus often spoke in parables and many times they seemed impossible to understand. Like last Sunday’s message about the dishonest manager. It’s a story about a dishonest manager who gets fired and then cooks the books so his former boss gets cheated out of even more money, and Jesus says we should be like him. Well, sort of… He says “children of this age are more shrewd than are the children of light.” And we should “make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so

Last Wednesday—September 10th to be exact—you read my message about discipleship…that becoming a disciple means decision and sometimes division. And perhaps about the time you were reading it, one particular disciple of Christ was assassinated. Politics notwithstanding—much like it was in the days of the apostles—a true believer always knows that presenting the Gospel to an unforgiving world always has a cost, sometimes even death. And interestingly enough, last Sunday center

Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires decision and sometimes division. That was Sunday’s message. That same message appears in the books of the Old Testament, Paul’s letters and directly from the lips of Jesus Himself. So, it must be true! One such message is in the Book of Deuteronomy, just before the Israelites enter the land of Cannan. Moses reminds them about all they’ve been taught on their journey through the wilderness. He sets out God’s entire blueprint for their new

Let’s talk about eating. We eat for nourishment, but there is much more to it than that. When we eat together, we learn about human nature. Eating together reveals deeper understandings of our relationships. Do you remember your first dinner date? In between small talk and nervous laughter, you might have noticed table manners, for example. Did she put her napkin on her lap? Where are his elbows? If you walked into a high school cafeteria, you see other examples of a meal and